Inspiration Archives - Page 2 of 15

February 4, 2019 by Jeremy

A Guide to Hanoi’s Best Street Food

Vietnamese food is integral to understanding the culture and history of the country, and Hanoi is a great place to taste the local cuisine. But what is the best way to experience Vietnamese food while in Hanoi? Here’s your guide to Hanoi’s best street food and how to find them:

Street food tour

The best way to experience Hanoi street food is to take a walking tour of the city. It will give you a closer look at how these dishes are prepared and served by Vietnamese people. To make your trip more immersive, try the Withlocals food tour, an app that pairs you up with a local who can guide you through the busy streets of Hanoi and take you to the best street food stops in the city.

Private vs group tour

There are different ways to experience the street food scene in Hanoi. You can take a private tour with a local through an app like Withlocals, or you can book a group tour. How are they different?

Customizability: Group tours usually have a set itinerary. You’re told where to go and when to leave each stop, which often prevents tourist from experiencing the true essence of the city. Meanwhile, a private tour can give you a unique experience that’s totally customizable to your preferences. If you like a place, you can stay longer or visit it more than once during your vacation. You can also tell your local guide if there are certain places that you want to try or have been recommended by friends who have visited Hanoi before.
Authenticity: Organized tours often fail to give tourists an immersive experience because they’re trying to stop by so many places in such a short amount of time. As a result, you get a holistic but not an immersive tour of the city. So if you want authenticity above all else, and if a taste of the local cuisine is your main reason for visiting Hanoi, then a private tour is the better option for you. Locals are the key to experience even the most touristy destinations in a renewed, respectful and sustainable way.
Privacy: Don’t like the idea of spending so much time with foreign strangers who know nothing about the history and culture of Hanoi? You might enjoy a private tour more. After all, locals are the ones who live in the city and walk these streets daily, so they can take you to the best and most authentic venues, markets, and street food stalls.

What to try

Now that you know how you can taste the best of Hanoi street food, let’s talk about the must-try Vietnamese food items. While in the city, here are five dishes you don’t want to miss:

1. Pho

Did you even go to Vietnam if you didn’t have a taste of their famous pho? Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup made with delicious beef broth, rice noodles, fresh vegetables and herbs, and a combination of spices and sauces. When you try this delicious Vietnamese staple, make sure to squeeze in a half of a lime into the broth to add another layer of flavor to this exquisite main dish.

2. Bánh mi

Born in Saigon in the late 1950s, bánh mi is one of the good things that France brought to Vietnam during the invasion. It’s a fusion between the French baguette for the bread and Vietnam’s fresh and local ingredients for the sandwich filling. As Americans got involved in the Vietnam war, bringing with them wheat shipments from the West, bánh mi became more popular in many different parts of the country. Today, you can have a taste of bánh mi in almost every street corner.

3. Chè

When someone says dessert, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A slice of cake or pie? A chocolate concoction of some kind? In Vietnam, the most popular dessert is chè, an interesting dish that can either be a pudding, a drink, or even a soup. When in Vietnam, try at least one of these famous types of chè: chè chuôi, chè thái, chè trôi nuóc, chè ba màu, and chè bap.

4. Xoi

Xoi is a favorite breakfast food among locals. It’s a simple breakfast dish that can either be sweet or savory. Basically, xoi is sticky rice mixed with corn and beans and served with chicken, sausage, eggs, and pork. Start your walking tour of the city right with a serving of Xoi in the morning.

5. Bún cha

A dish that proudly originated in Hanoi, bún cha is a Vietnamese super meal. It usually consists of four different dishes: rice or rice noodles, meat, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs. It is also served with different dipping sauces for the meat and a few side dishes. When US President Obama visited the country, he tried bún cha and immediately fell in love with it.

Is your mouth watering yet? Get excited because these Vietnamese dishes are waiting for you on your vacation! Just make sure to choose the right kind of food tour for you and you’ll be eating the best local cuisine in no time.

January 24, 2019 by Jeremy

Tourism Trends for Family-Friendly Travel

Traveling with family can be challenging. There are things we are often anxious about such as packing, keeping the children busy, as well as finding a stress free and low-cost travel option for the whole family. Recent trends have tried to address some of the challenges that parents face when trying to organize a trip for the whole family.

New packages are trying to address the issue of transportation, keeping the trip exciting and making the experience fun for everyone including the parents. Here are some trends that can give you ideas when you are planning your next vacation with loved ones.

All Inclusive Resorts

All inclusive resorts try to minimize all your travel by bringing everything to one place. This trend has proven advantageous in several ways for people traveling with their family. This has prompted players in the tourism industry have been designing packages to cater for these needs.

These resorts have incorporated fun activities and games, conference rooms, and accommodation units with a kitchen, multiple bathrooms, and dining area. Fun activities may include water sports, biking, hiking, and video game rooms. Parents can have their alone time as their children are playing games in some other part of the resort.

Holiday Resort

There are many resorts with fantasy themes where imaginary creatures come to life. These resorts have also cater for the whole family with exciting activities for children. Holiday resorts have themes designed to jumpstart your holiday mood. For example, when you book a family holiday to Lapland, your family can send a letter to Santa and later get to meet him at the resort. While there, the whole family can take part in a range of Christmas themed activities. The resort provides costumes and equipment at the premises.

Voluntourism

Another trend that is becoming popular with travelers is voluntourism. You and your family can visit a remote location of the world and take part in activities as a way of giving back to the communities there. Many parents get the opportunity to expose their children to people from other cultures where they get to understand their lifestyle by completing day to day tasks.

It gives the whole family an opportunity to bond and to be exposed to the beauty of nature. Some voluntourism activities may involve assisting in tasks like the assembly of materials used for irrigation, feeding animals, teaching students new skills, amongst other activities.

In some locations, there are classes where you and your family can learn from the locals how to prepare the local dishes. This gives the family the opportunity to meet new people in the local area and learn about the culture directly from the natives. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends from across the world when on holiday. The other advantage is that it can be fairly low cost, especially where you need to travel with the whole family. The travel agent should ensure that all your needs are met as you spend time in a remote location away from home.

January 24, 2019 by Jeremy

The Top 5 OEM Parts Your BMW Bike Needs

Whether you’re looking for motorcycle tires for sale or your bike is in need of repair, OEM parts are the way to go, especially if you’re riding a BMW. By choosing OEM, you can be sure you’re getting the quality of your bike’s original manufacturer. If you’re in the market for parts, here are five components where OEM options can best serve you.

Air Filters

Your air filter does more work than you think: it’s responsible for keeping dirt and other debris out of your engine. When your filter gets clogged, it can’t do its job, which means that debris interferes with your engine’s ability to run at full capacity.

Engine Guard

Engine guards are a great safety feature to minimize injury in the event of an accident. That’s why buying from an OEM supplier is so important when shopping for this item – you can be sure the fit is great, the materials are grade-A, and you can rely on it when it matters most.

Clutch

You also want to make sure you’re getting bmw oem parts when looking for clutch components. Your clutch is responsible for keeping your ride smooth by managing several aspects of driving, such as the following:

Switching gears
Channeling power to the drivetrain
Stopping

Since these parts are so essential to controlling your bike, it’s crucial that you know their origin and quality.

Muffler

A muffler can be critical to keeping on good terms with the neighbors, especially if you ride often. Buying an OEM muffler ensures a great fit and lets your neighborhood sleep in on the weekend.

Heel Deflector

Protecting your feet while riding is vital if you want to stay on the road. Heel deflectors shield your boots from your motorcycle’s hot metal, saving you on expensive gear.

When getting repairs or looking for upgrades, treat your BMW motorcycle right. Make sure you’re getting workmanship you can count on with OEM parts.

December 16, 2018 by Jeremy

How to Bring Romance Back into Your Relationship

No matter how romantic a person you are, over time your romantic relationship can lose some of its steam. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your relationship is in trouble or that you love each other any less, only that the spontaneity and excitement that was a near-daily part of your relationship has been replaced with repetition and responsibilities.

Perhaps job requirements have increased and maybe there are kids around who certainly don’t increase your desire for romance, or maybe you just failed to notice until you see a couple who are romantic with each other and then it hits you that this part of your relationship has gone dormant. Whatever the situation is that created the realization, you need to take it seriously and you need to do some things now. Here are two things that you can do put a spark back in your relationship.

Book a Romantic Weekend Getaway

Because of our busy schedules, most of us have a really difficult time getting away on a long vacation. These types of excursions take lots of planning, a good deal of money, and coordination with your spouse and the rest of your family on where you actually going to go. So suggesting that you take a long romantic vacation will probably only add more stress to your situation.

Instead, how about you book a romantic weekend break with your significant other. The UK offers great romantic weekend packages that will fit within your budget and deliver a weekend worth of love to the two of you. Each of the getaway destinations are beautiful and many are in older classic homes and estates located in the country, near beautiful forests and rivers, and even along the shore. The weekends are inclusive of everything you need to turn on the romance.

In addition to a romantic setting you can also order in advance champagne, chocolates, and any other specific food you want delivered to your room. You can also have breakfast in bed, in the garden, or by the pool. You can even choose to never leave your room the entire weekend and decide together how to rekindle your low burning flame together. A UK romantic weekend getaway is the perfect choice to bring some romance back to your relationship.

Send a Surprise Naughty Gift

If you’ve never sent or a naughty gift to someone you are romantically involved with, then you don’t have any idea of the potential response. There’s something about a person buying and sending sexy underwear, toys, or even handcuffs that can really get a person’s juices flowing. Perhaps it’s the thought that your significant other went through all the trouble to locate and then purchase the garment or toy, or perhaps it just brings back memories of a more exciting past. Whatever the reason, the result is that sparks will usually begin to fly again. To spice things up even more, send the gift to your significant other anonymously and don’t let them know that it was you until the two of you are alone at night.

Remember that the most important part about creating sparks in your the mental part so whether it’s a weekend getaway or a sexy surprise naughty gift don’t downplay the mental aspects of your efforts Build up anticipation and drama and make things as mysterious as possible. This adds to the excitement and romance.

If you choose either or both of these ideas on a regular basis, you are sure to be back to the same romantic level but you are at when you first met.

September 22, 2018 by Jeremy

Comparing Vehicles for a Road Trip

America was made for the open road. In fact, quality interstate highways are one of the often overlooked advantages of the continental 48. These Eisenhower highways connect every corner of the continental United States with smooth, wide, well-kept pavement. The roads are suitable for just about every vehicle, so take advantage of the nice weather, jump in your favorite mode of transportation and hit the high-quality highways to see the beauty that is America.

Motorcycle Road Trip

Motorcycles allow you to see everything. You’re not unobstructed by windows, doors and other passengers. It’s just you, the fresh air and the natural beauty that surrounds you. This instantly makes riding a motorcycle one of the best ways to see the country.

The freedom of a motorcycle has its tradeoffs, mainly in the form of reduced safety. Even cheap motorcycle insurance costs more for an individual than a policy covering a sedan would, due to the increased risk of accidents occurring when riding one. There’s also the issue of reduced storage space, as well as the exposure to the elements.

Make sure to do a little homework before ripping your hog down the highway. Some states have helmet laws while others do not, so make sure to tote bring your DOT-approved helmet. You’ll also have to schedule plenty of breaks and keep a keen eye on the weather, as wet roads are especially dangerous for motorcycles.

Car Road Trip

You’ll have to decide right off the bat which is the best car for a road trip. Do you plan on going off road? You’ll need an SUV with four-wheel-drive. Are you driving clear across the country and need to save some money? An economy car will do just fine. Or are you loading up all your friends with plenty of gear? Perhaps you’ll need a station wagon? Whichever type of automobile you pick, it will likely be less thrilling than a motorcycle but also more safe and secure.

Ask around to see if your friends have the right vehicle, but you may be forced to rent a car for the trip. This will cost a bit of money, but don’t despair. You can make it a one-way road trip with a rental car. Drive the rental from one city to your destination to fly back home. Simply drop the rental car off at the airport. This allows you to see the country while saving time. You’ll be forced to make an out-and-back trip with a car you own.

Campervan or Motorhome

If used frequently, campervans and motorhomes can save you time and money in the long-run. After all, you just rock up to points of interest to sleep for the night. You don’t have to be hassled with pitching a tent or finding a hotel. While they seem intimidating at first-glance, driving a motorhome quickly becomes second-nature much like ordinary driving did when you were a teenager.

However, you should consider the cost of a motorhome. Class-A motorhome prices start at about $50,000 and go up into the millions, depending on all the bells and whistles attached. Furthermore. in order to get the most out of a motorhome or RV, regular maintenance must be undertaken.

The most beautiful parts of America are all connected by highway. Grab a friend or two, plan a route and hit the road for the trip of a lifetime. Just make sure to choose your mode of transportation wisely.